A new charity, the Collaboration for Urological Research and Education (CURE), has today called for urgent action to address one of Britain’s biggest silent epidemics – urethral strictures.
Launching Stricture Awareness Month (SAM) in March, CURE has called on healthcare professionals to do more to make men aware of the condition and provide guidance so that potential sufferers know what to look for.
Urethral strictures are scarring that blocks the urinary tract and trap men in a cycle of pain, infections, and emergency hospital visits. Left untreated, these blockages can lead to complete urinary retention, kidney failure, and even life-altering sepsis.
Currently, there is no national screening, no dedicated funding, and little awareness, with thousands of men suffering in silence.
Urethral strictures affect at least one in every 200 men (compared to one in every 300 affected by multiple sclerosis), with more than 12,000 men in the UK requiring medical intervention for strictures each year. However, thousands of cases could be going unreported.
CURE founder Professor Daniela Andrich, Consultant Reconstructive Urological Surgeon and Honorary Associate Professor at University College London (UCL), said: “Urethral strictures need to be taken far more seriously by NHS staff and the general public. Currently, GPs are not trained to diagnose it and the condition is costing the NHS an estimated £10 million annually. It’s time for the NHS to do more to ensure improved screening so that men know the warning signs and can get improved diagnoses, particularly for those at higher risk such as those treated for prostrate cancer.”
CURE is calling on the NHS to initiate immediate screening for men including post-prostate cancer patients, to prevent life-altering complications and refer men for early urological evaluation.
They also want the NHS to establish mandatory catheterisation training for all NHS staff and GP training to prevent unnecessary patient injury and suffering.
Men who have undergone prostate surgery (prostatectomy) or treatments like radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or HIFU are at increased risk of developing urethral strictures. Many of these strictures affect the external urethral sphincter, leaving men both incontinent and obstructed — a devastating combination.
Strictures are often misdiagnosed as prostate issues, leading to delayed treatment and unnecessary suffering while symptoms can include:
- Weak or slow urinary stream
- Straining to urinate
- Prolonged voiding time
- Frequent UTIs or blood in urine
- Inability to fully empty the bladder
- Acute urinary retention (unable to urinate at all, requiring emergency catheterization)
- Frequent urge to urinate (urgency)
- Needing to urinate multiple times during the night (nocturia)
During SAM, CURE will be holding awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, and media outreach to ensure that men, GPs, and healthcare providers recognise the importance of early diagnosis and proper treatment.
https://charity.almarondesign.de/
